Arthur c



(No Model.)

A. C. Bowl-3. PIRE EXTINGUISHBR.

No. 596,622. Patented Jan. 4, 1898.

III"

NTTED STATES PATENT Trice.

ARTHUR C. ROVE, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,622, dated January 4, 1898.

Application led September 25, 1896. Serial No. 606,994. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t ma!! concern:

Beit known that I, ARTHUR C. Rows, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following, taken with the accompanying drawings, is a description.

My invention relates to chemical fire-extinguishers in which certain chemicals are placed ready to be combined at the time of the lire to produce a flame-extinguishing gas or combination of gas and liquid. There have been heretofore two kinds, one in which the gas is thrown mingled with water, the water acting primarily as a vehicle to carry the gasto the iire, and the other in which a stream of gas only is thrown. In the latter kind, useful especially around electrical switchboards and delicate machinery, a seoondary or drying chamber is necessary yto rid the gas of the watery vapor or spray which issues with it from the commotion of the generating-chamber; but it frequently occurs at a fire around electrical apparatus that it is desirable to first throw a stream of dry gas and afterward throw water and gas upon another part of the iire. The latter carries farther and is more effective upon burning wood.V To do this heretofore, it has been necessary to have two machines, one of each kind, each with its separate charge.

The main object of my invention is to provide a single machine which can be made to throw a stream of dry gas and then by simply reversing it instantly change this to a stream of water and gas, all from the same charge. Thus the salme machine and the same charge can be used either as a wet or dry machine until the charge is exhausted, and can also be made to change from one to the other instantly as the necessity arises.

It consists, substantially, of two separate compartments, a generating and a drying chamber, affixed to each other and capable of reversal together and with the outlet from the generating into the drying chamber and the outlet from the latter into the outer air so arranged that in one position they are above the level of the liquid in their respective chambers and in the reversed position are below that level, so as to throw gas in the iirst position and mingled water and gas in the second position.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters indicate like parts, Figures l and 2 are vertical sections of two varieties of the machine, each capable 0f use for dry carbonio-acid gas or combined gas and water. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line .fr .fr of Fig. 2. Fig. et is an alternative variation of the upper part of Fig. l when used for one purpose.

A is the first compartment. For producing carbonio-acid gas' this :is to be filled about one-half full of water and bicarbonate of soda added until it reaches saturation.

B is the acid-receptacle, suspended by rods h from the screw-cap C.

D is the lead stopper, placed loosely over the mouth of B.

E, the second compartment, Fig. l, is a vessel about one-third the size of compartment A, rigidly attached to it, having as its inlet from A the pipeFand its outlet at the point G, at which any suitable hose-pipe and nozzle may be attached.

The pipe F, which forms the communicationrbetween the two chambers, starts from near the bottom of the rst compartment A and terminates in the second compartment E at a point some distance from the top H thereof and with its mouth near to and directed substantially at right angles against the interiorsurface of the compartment. The bend in the pipe F at J forms a handle, (in case of a portable machine,) and the barj at the other end serves as ahandle when it is reversed.

The operation as a dry carbonic-acid-gas machine is as follows: The compartment A having been charged with the water and bicarbonate of soda and the receptacle B with the acid, the whole machine (both compartments) is reversedthe lead stopper D falls out, the acid mingles with the solution, and carbonio-acid gas is evolved. In this position the liquid stands below the mouth f of the exit-pipe F. The chemical action is so quick and violent that the entire space in the machine not iilled with liquid is filled with spray or watery vapor floating in the carbonio-acid gas. As the machine stood before reversal the liquid filled the pipe F up to the same level as in the rest of the compartment. Upon IOO reversal of the machine and the evolving of the gas this liquid in the pipe F is forced into the second compartment E, but falls by gravity to the end H thereof, and so cannot issue onto the lire. The carbonio-acid gas, laden with the watery vapor, follows through the pipe F under pressure and strikes the interior surface of the compartment E forcibly. This forcible directing of the stream against a solid surface has the effect of separating the watery vapor from the gas, the particles of water or liquid clinging to the surface and dropping thence by gravity to the bottom H (top before reversal) of the chamberE,wl1ile the gas under the pressure passes on to the exit. The iirst discharge, being of liquid, completely wets the surface opposite the end g of the pipe F, and thereafter all the particles of moisture are forced by the blast against this Wet surface and, uniting with the body of liquid there, run off into the receiver or pocket by gravity. The second compartment not only serves as a comparatively quiet place away from the generating-chamber, Where this depositing of the particles of vapor may go on, but it also serves as a receptacle or pocket, as it were, for holding the condensed (collected) vapor as well as the liquid discharged at the start from the pipe F and preventing any of it reaching the llames.

The same machine may be used as a wet extinguisher, delivering combined gas and water by simply reversing it (turning it top end up again) after the acid has run out of the bottle B. The endfof the pipeF then again comes below the surface of the liquid, and it is liquid-charged with the gas, which is forced through the pipe F and the compartment E to the outlet Gr. rlhus if after putting out a fire on a switchboard there is some of the charge left the same machine may be reversed and used elsewhere on an ordinary fire the same as other extinguishers; or by the same process the entire charge may be used upon an ordinary lire, throwing the liquid charged with gas, as in the case of extinguishers now in use.

It is evident that a third or fourth condensing-chamber may be used to extract more of the vapor, if desired. Different degrees of dryness are essential for different situations.

Figs. 2 and 3 show the same principle, but with three separate condensing or drying chambers, all arranged within (and in series with) the generating-chamber A. K, L, and M are the three successive condensing-chambers, the only inlet into each being a pipe k, l, and m,which delivers the stream of gas against a concave surface n o p. These are shown in cross-section in Fig. 3. The second compartment K should be much the larger, as it will receive the bulk of the liquid. The compartments K, L, and M must be placed above the level at which the liquid stands before use; or the same result may be accomplished, as shown in the drawings, by leading the outletpipe N above the level of the liquid before it enters the first drying-compartment K.

I claim as my inventionl. A reversible chemical fire-extinguisher to throw gas or liquid from the same charge at will, consisting of a generating-chamber containing an acid-receptacle, and a separate drying-chamber, affixed to each other in parallel positions and reversing together; the outlets from the first to the second, and from the second to the outer air being placed in such positions in their respective chambers that they will both be above the level of the liquid therein, in one position of the machine, and below that level in the reversed position; and the inlet into the drying-chamber being situated close to and directed against the perpendicular side of the chamber.

2. A chemical fire-extinguisher to throw dry gas, consisting of a generating-chamber and a separate drying-chamber; the outlets from the first to the second and from the second to the outer air being placed in such positions in their respective chambers as to be above the level of the liquid therein; and the inlet into the drying-chamber being situated close to, and directed against the perpendicular side of the chamber.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 23d day of September, 1896.

ARTHUR C. ROVE.

Witnesses:

MARX E. HARRY, SALTER SroRRs CLARK. 

